Walking the Path of a Caregiver

Last year while visiting my brother, Dean, I did a two-mile walk to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research. Dean’s wife of over 50 years is suffering from the disease, and he has become an advocate for awareness and research for the Alzheimer’s Foundation.

After we finished the walk, Dean took the stage. Judy sat in a wheelchair in the front row. He talked about his journey of caring for her and the love he has for her, even though it’s no longer returned in the same way. He talked about how his faith sustained him. When I looked around at other caregivers gathered there, tears flowed freely.

After he finished, one of the attendees said, “Dean, thank you. Your talk gave me hope.” I believe his words of encouragement also gave permission to each caregiver to take care of themselves.